Playing a social game with automatic players

ABSTRACT

A method and system are described for providing a branded automatic player within a social, online game. In some example embodiments, the automatic player may receive an indication that a triggering event has occurred and perform an action within the online game in response to the triggering event.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to playing a social game with automatic players.

BACKGROUND

Conventional online games present advertising and other sponsored information in a variety of ways. For example, an online game may provide sponsored gifts to other players of a game, display advertisements via game objects, decorations, messages, contests, events, and so on. Sponsors and other advertisers may utilize an online game to present their messaging to players of the game in the hopes of obtaining customers, among other things.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The example embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a suitable computing environment for playing a social game with automatic players, in some example embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of a branded player system, in some example embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method performed by an automatic player for interacting with other players within an online game, in some example embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method performed by an automatic player for performing an action within an online game, in some example embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a display diagram illustrating an example user interface depicting a branded, automatic player of a social game.

FIG. 6 illustrates a social network within a social graph used to associate game players and sponsors of automatic players, in some example embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates example data flow between components of the example computing environment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example network environment in which various embodiments of the technology may operate.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example computing system architecture, which may be used to implement one or more of the methodologies described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS Overview

Systems and methods for providing an automatic player within an online social game are described. In some example embodiments, an automatic player is branded or otherwise associated with a sponsor, such as a company or other entity. The branded automatic player may present logo and other information via game objects and game assets associated with the player, may perform actions within the online game, may provide incentives to other players within the online game, and so on, and/or may otherwise interact with other players of an online game, such as friends within the online game.

In some example embodiments, the automatic player may be configured to interact with other players within a game and perform actions within the game based on the interactions. The automatic player may send messages or other sponsored information to players within a social game, and upon receiving an indication that the players have interacted with the information, perform various game play actions for the players within the online game.

In some example embodiments, the automatic player may be configured to perform actions within a game for other players within the game based on determining that the players have interacted with a sponsor of the automatic player in an environment inside or outside of the game. The automatic player may receive an indication that a player of an online game has interacted with the sponsor of the player, and in response, perform a game play action for the player within the online game. In a similar fashion, in some example embodiments, the sponsor may provide benefits in an environment outside of the game based on an indication that the player has interacted with the sponsor within the game.

Thus, the system described herein may enable players of online social games to interact with automatic players, such as branded automatic players, both inside and outside of the game, enabling a sponsoring entity associated with the brand to engage with potential customers in a deep and targeted manner, among other things.

Suitable System

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a suitable computing environment 100 for playing a social game with automatic players, in some example embodiments. The online computing environment 100 may include a user device 110 associated with a player 105 of an online game, a network 120, a social networking system 140, a game networking system 130, and a branded player system 150. The example components of the online computing environment 100 may be connected directly or via the network 120, which may be any suitable network. In various example embodiments, one or more portions of the network 120 may include an ad hoc network, an intranet, an extranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a wireless WAN (WWAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a portion of the Internet, a portion of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cellular telephone network, any other type of network, or a combination of two or more such networks.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates a particular example of the arrangement of the player 105, the user device 110, the social networking system 140, the game networking system 130, the branded player system 150, and the network 120, this disclosure includes any suitable arrangement or configuration of the player 105, the user device 110, the social networking system 140, the game networking system 130, the branded player system 150, and the network 120.

The user device 110 may be any suitable computing device, such as a smart phone 112, a tablet 114, a laptop 116, and/or any mobile device or computing device suitable for playing a virtual, online game. The user device 110 may access the social networking system 140 or the game networking system 130 directly, via the network 120, or via a third-party system. For example, the user device 110 may access the game networking system 130 via the social networking system 140, or vice versa. It should be noted that the functionality described herein may reside partially or wholly on any one device or be distributed across several devices. For example, the game networking system 130 may partially or wholly provide aspects of the branded player system 150, the social networking system 130 may partially or wholly provide aspects of the branded player system 150, the user device 110 may partially or wholly provide aspects of the branded player system 150, and so on. In some example embodiments, a script operating in conjunction with a browser running on the user device 110 may facilitate a branded automatic player interacting with other players within an online game, among other things.

A Branded Automatic Player of a Social Game

As described herein, in some example embodiments, the branded player system 150 enables a sponsoring entity to interact with players of a social game via an automatic player of the social game. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating components of the branded player system 150, in some example embodiments.

The branded player system 150 may include a game play module 210, a trigger module 220, an interaction module 230, and an action module 240. The modules may constitute either software modules (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal) or hardware modules. A “hardware module” is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain physical manner. In various example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone computer system, smart phones, tablet computers, or the like, a client computer system, or a server computer system) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardware module that operates to perform certain operations as described herein. One or more of the modules shown by way of example in FIG. 2 may be hardware modules.

In some embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented electronically, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, a hardware module may include dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware module may be a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). A hardware module may also include programmable logic or circuitry that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. For example, a hardware module may include software encompassed within a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware module, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations.

Accordingly, the phrase “hardware module” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) and/or programmed to operate in a certain manner or to perform certain operations described herein. As used herein, “hardware-implemented module” refers to a hardware module. Considering embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where a hardware module comprises a general-purpose processor configured by software to become a special-purpose processor, the general-purpose processor may be configured as respectively different special-purpose processors (e.g., comprising different hardware modules) at different times. Software may accordingly configure a processor, for example, to constitute a particular hardware module at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a different instance of time.

Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive information from, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) between or among two or more of the hardware modules. In embodiments in which multiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. For example, one hardware module may perform an operation and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input or output devices and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information).

Referring back to FIG. 2, in some example embodiments, the game play module 210 of the branded player system 150 is configured and/or programmed to perform various game play actions for an automatic player associated with a brand or sponsor. An automatic player may be, for example, a player controlled by an online game or other non-human entity associated with the online game, such as the brand or sponsor, a game network, a social network, and so on. In a social game such as FarmVille by Zynga, Inc., the game play module 210 may cause the automatic player to harvest crops, visit neighbors, purchase decorations, click on viral messages (such as Facebook® feeds and/or requests), and/or perform other actions within the game and/or within a social network associated with the game.

In some example embodiments, the trigger module 220 of the branded player system 150 is configured and/or programmed to identify, determine, and/or receive a trigger that causes the automatic player to perform an action within an online game, such as an action for another player within the game that is connected (e.g. a “friend” or a “community neighbor”) to the automatic player.

In some cases, the trigger occurs within the online game. For example, a friend of an automatic player may interact with the automatic player, may interact with messaging, prompts, or advertisements that are associated with the automatic player, or with a sponsoring brand of the automatic player. Examples of in-game triggers include:

an interaction between a player of an online game and a sponsored automatic player within the online game;

an interaction between a player of an online game and a sponsored message within the online game; and/or

a time period of inaction between a player of an online game and a sponsored automatic player within the online game commencing; and so on.

In some cases, the trigger occurs outside the online game. For example, a player of an online game may interact with a sponsoring entity that provided the automatic player within the online game. Example interactions include clicking on feeds/requests, “liking,” sharing, micro-blogging, commenting, or otherwise interacting with the sponsoring entity within a social network environment (such as a social network provided by the social networking system 130), purchasing a product associated with the sponsoring entity, utilizing a service and/or an offer associated with the sponsoring entity (e.g., using a credit card associated with a sponsoring bank), and so on.

In some example embodiments, the interaction module 230 of the branded player system 150 is configured and/or programmed to interact with players of an online game via the branded automatic player. For example, the automatic player may send messages, prompts, or gifts to other players within a game, perform group tasks with other players within the game, and so on.

In some example embodiments, the action module 240 of the branded player system 150 is configured and/or programmed to perform actions within an online game via the branded automatic player. For example, the action module may facilitate the branded automatic player to perform game play actions (e.g., harvest a player's crop or request to be a “neighbor”) for or along with other players, to buy and/or give gifts to other players, to chat with other players, to select requests and/or feeds, to send postcards or other messaging, to join and assist group play tasks, to send invites to events within the game, and so on.

As described herein, in some example embodiments, the branded player system 150 enables a sponsoring entity to interact with players of an online social game via an automatic player associated with the sponsoring entity. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 300 performed by an automatic player for interacting with other players within an online game, in some example embodiments.

The various operations of example methods described herein may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more operations or functions described herein. As used herein, “processor-implemented module” refers to a hardware module implemented using one or more processors.

Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented, with a processor being an example of hardware. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors or processor-implemented modules. Moreover, the one or more processors may also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a “software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines including processors), with these operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., an application program interface (API)).

The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, not only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments, the one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may be located in a geographic location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment, or a server farm). In other example embodiments, the one or more processors or processor-implemented modules may be distributed across a number of geographic locations.

Returning to FIG. 3, in operation 310, a branded automatic player receives an indication of an occurrence of a trigger within an online game. For example, the trigger module 220 of the branded player system 150 determines that an occurrence of a triggering event within the online game has occurred.

A triggering event may be an event associated with another player interacting with the branded automatic player, accepting a gift or other virtual asset provided by the branded automatic player, viewing or selecting a message, advertisement, video, or other visual information associated with the branded automatic player, and so on.

In operation 320, the branded automatic player performs an action within the online game based on the received indication. For example, the action module 240, the game play module 210, and/or the interaction module 230 of the branded player system 150 performs an action within the online game.

As described herein, the branded automatic player may perform many different actions based on interactions with other players within a game. For example, the branded automatic player may interact with other players, may perform game play actions for other players, may present gifts and/or other virtual assets, may perform group tasks, and so on.

As an example, an automatic player within the FarmVille game is associated with a restaurant chain. The automatic player receives an indication that another player, who is a friend of the automatic player within the game, has purchased an asset within the game that is branded with the restaurant chain's logo, which is a triggering event. The automatic player, in response to receiving an indication of the triggering event, automatically harvests the friend's crops and purchases a cow for the other player.

In some example embodiments, an automatic player may perform actions within an online game based on interactions outside of the game between other players of the game and a sponsoring entity associated with the automatic player. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method 400 performed by an automatic player for performing an action within an online game, in some example embodiments.

In operation 410, an automatic player within an online game receives an indication of a triggering event in an environment outside of the online game. For example, the trigger module 220 of the branded player system 150 determines that an occurrence of an external triggering event outside of the online game has occurred.

An external triggering event may occur within a social network providing, or otherwise associated with, the online game. Example external triggering events may include:

another player of the online game interacting with a brand or other sponsor associated with the automatic player, such as via a sponsor's page within a social network (e.g., the player “liking” a product provided by the sponsor);

another player of the online game commenting, discussing, micro-blogging, or otherwise communicating about a sponsor and/or the sponsor's products or services (e.g., the player tweeting about a sponsor's product);

another player of the online game utilizing a product or service provided by the sponsor (e.g., the player using a credit card provided by a sponsor); and/or

another player of the online game not interacting with the sponsor within a certain time period (e.g., the player not entering a sponsor's restaurant chain within the past month); and so on.

In operation 420, the branded automatic player performs an action within the online game based on the received indication. For example, the action module 240, the game play module 210, and/or the interaction module 230 of the branded player system 150 performs an action within the online game.

As described herein, the branded automatic player may perform many different actions based on interactions with other players within a game. For example, the branded automatic player may interact with other players, may perform game play actions for other players, may present gifts and/or other virtual assets, may perform group tasks, and so on.

As another example, a player of an online game is a “neighbor” of an automatic player within the online game CityVille, provided by Zynga, Inc. The automatic player is associated with a bank and is presented within the game as a bank within the city. The player, outside of the online game, uses her credit card, which is a service provided by the bank associated with the automatic player, to make a real-world purchase, which is a triggering event. In response to receiving an indication of the triggering event, the automatic player performs a number of jobs for the player within the game.

Thus, in some example embodiments, the branded player system 150 enables a sponsoring entity to interact with other players of an online game via an automatic player that responds to virtual world and/or real world interactions between the sponsoring entity and players of the online game. FIG. 5 shows a branded automatic player 500 of a social game. The branded automatic player (e.g., a branded farm in FarmVille) may include a brand's logo 510 or other distinguishing information.

The interactions between the branded automatic player and other players enable the sponsoring entity to engage with users via game play and enable the players to receive gifts and other rewards from the sponsoring entity, among other benefits.

Example Game Systems, Social Networks, and Social Graphs

FIG. 6 illustrates a social network within a social graph 600 used to provide rewards to players, in some example embodiments. In example embodiments, a virtual landscape or environment of a player may be visible to other players of the virtual game.

The social graph 600 is shown by way of example to include an out-of-game social network 650 and an in-game social network 660. Moreover, the in-game social network 660 may include one or more players that are friends with the User 601 (e.g., a Friend 3₁ 631), and may include one or more other users that are not friends with the User 601. The social graph 600 may correspond to the various users associated with the virtual game. In an example embodiment, each user may “build” their own virtual structures using branded virtual objects and/or unbranded virtual objects.

As described above, the example systems described herein may include, communicate, or otherwise interact with a game system. As such, a game system is now described to illustrate further example embodiments. In an online multiuser game, users control player characters (PCs), and a game engine controls non-player characters (NPCs), such as a branded automatic player. The game engine also manages player character states and tracks states for currently active (e.g., online) users and currently inactive (e.g., offline) users. A game engine, in some embodiments, may include a documentation engine. Alternatively, the documentation engine and game engine may be embodied as separate components operated by the game network system and/or the document provision system.

A player character, such as a branded automatic player, may have a set of attributes and a set of friends associated with the player character. As used herein, the terms “state” and “attribute” can be used interchangeably to refer to any in-game characteristic of a player character, such as location, assets (e.g., value icons), levels, condition, health, status, inventory, skill set, name, orientation, affiliation, specialty, and so on. The game engine may use a player character state to determine the outcome of a game event, while sometimes also considering set variables or random variables. Generally, an outcome is more favorable to a current player character (or player characters) when the player character has a better state. For example, a healthier player character is less likely to die in a particular encounter relative to a weaker player character or non-player character.

A game event may be an outcome of an engagement, a provision of access, rights, and/or benefits, or the obtaining of some assets (e.g., health, money (e.g., virtual currency from a value icon), strength, inventory, land, etc.). A game engine may determine the outcome of a game event according to game rules (e.g., “a character with less than 5 health points will be prevented from initiating an attack”), based on a character's state, and also possibly based on interactions of other player characters and a random calculation. Moreover, an engagement may include simple tasks (e.g., cross the river, shoot at an opponent, interact with a value icon, or the like), complex tasks (e.g., win a battle, unlock a puzzle, build a factory, rob a liquor store), or other events. Selecting an award based on these events, or captured photos depicting these events and tasks, may enhance the likelihood that a player will enjoy and subsequently rengage with the virtual game.

In a game system according to some aspects of the present disclosure, in determining the outcome of a game event in a game being played by a user (or a group of more than one users), the game engine may take into account the state of the player character (or group of PCs) that is playing, but also the state of one or more PCs of offline/inactive users who are connected to the current user (or PC, or group of PCs) through the game social graph but are not necessarily involved in the game at the time.

For example, a User A with six friends on User A's team (e.g., the friends that are listed, depending on the nature of the game, as being in the user's mob/gang/set/army/business/crew/etc.) may be playing the virtual game and choose to confront a User B who has 20 friends on User B's team. In some embodiments, a user may only have first-degree friends on the user's team. In other embodiments, a user may also have second-degree and higher degree friends on the user's team. To resolve the game event, in some embodiments, the game engine may total up the weapon strength of the seven members of the User A's team and the weapon strength of the 21 members of the User B's team and decide an outcome of the confrontation based on a random variable applied to a probability distribution that favors the side with the greater total. In some embodiments, all of this may be done without any other current active participants other than the User A (e.g., the User A's friends, the User B, and the User B's friends could all be offline or inactive). In some embodiments, the friends in a user's team may see a change in their state as part of the outcome of the game event.

A virtual game may be hosted by the game networking system 130, which can be accessed using any suitable connection 125 with a suitable user device 110. A user may have a game account on the game networking system 130, wherein the game account may contain a variety of information associated with the user (e.g., the user's personal information, financial information, purchase history (e.g., of in-game assets), player character state, game state, or any other user profile data). In some embodiments, a user may play multiple games on the game networking system 130, which may maintain a single game account for the user with respect to the multiple games, or multiple individual game accounts for each game with respect to the user. In some embodiments, the game networking system 130 may assign a unique identifier to a player 105 of a virtual game hosted on the game networking system 130. The game networking system 130 may determine that the player 105 is accessing the virtual game by reading the user's cookies, which may be appended to HTTP requests transmitted by the user device 110, and/or by the player 105 logging onto the virtual game.

In some embodiments, the player 105 accesses a virtual game and controls the game's progress via the user device 110 (e.g., by inputting commands to the game at the user device 110). The user device 110 can display the game interface, receive inputs from the player 105, transmit user inputs or other events to the game engine, and receive instructions from the game engine. The game engine can be executed on any suitable system (such as, for example, the user device 110, the social networking system 140, or the game networking system 130). For example, the user device 110 may download client components of a virtual game, which are executed locally, while a remote game server, such as the game networking system 130, provides backend support for the client components and may be responsible for maintaining application data of the game, processing the inputs from the player 105, updating and/or synchronizing the game state based on the game logic and each input from the player 105, and transmitting instructions to the user device 110. As another example, when the player 105 provides an input to the game through the user device 110 (such as, for example, by typing on the keyboard, clicking the mouse, or interacting with a touch screen of the user device 110), the client components of the game may transmit the user's input to the game networking system 130.

In some embodiments, the player 105 accesses particular game instances of a virtual game. A game instance is a copy of a specific game play area that is created during runtime. In some embodiments, a game instance is a discrete game play area where one or more players 105 can interact in synchronous or asynchronous play. A game instance may be, for example, a level, zone, area, region, location, virtual space, or other suitable play area. A game instance may be populated by one or more in-game objects (e.g., decorations on a game board). Each object may be defined within the game instance by one or more variables, such as, for example, position, height, width, depth, direction, time, duration, speed, color, and other suitable variables.

In some embodiments, a specific game instance may be associated with one or more specific users. A game instance is associated with a specific user when one or more game parameters of the game instance are associated with the specific user. For example, a game instance associated with a first user may be named “First User's Play Area.” This game instance may be populated with the first user's PC and one or more in-game objects associated with the first user.

In some embodiments, a game instance associated with a specific user is only accessible by that specific user. For example, a first user may access a first game instance when playing a virtual game, and this first game instance may be inaccessible to all other users. In other embodiments, a game instance associated with a specific user is accessible by one or more other users, either synchronously or asynchronously with the specific user's game play. For example, a first user may be associated with a first game instance, but the first game instance may be accessed by all first-degree friends in the first user's social network.

In some embodiments, the set of in-game actions available to a specific user is different in a game instance that is associated with this user compared to a game instance that is not associated with this user. The set of in-game actions available to a specific user in a game instance associated with this user may be a subset, superset, or independent of the set of in-game actions available to this user in a game instance that is not associated with him. For example, a first user may be associated with Blackacre Farm in an online farming game and may be able to plant crops on Blackacre Farm. If the first user accesses a game instance associated with another user, such as Whiteacre Farm, the game engine may not allow the first user to plant crops in that game instance. However, other in-game actions may be available to the first user, such as watering or fertilizing crops on Whiteacre Farm. Likewise, a value icons may have restrictions.

In some embodiments, a game engine interfaces with a social graph (e.g., to obtain user profile data from the social graph to, inter alia, configure the virtual sctach cards). Social graphs are models of connections between entities (e.g., individuals, users, contacts, friends, users, player characters, non-player characters, businesses, groups, associations, concepts, etc.). These entities are considered “users” of the social graph; as such, the terms “entity” and “user” may be used interchangeably when referring to social graphs herein. A social graph can have a node for each entity and edges to represent relationships between entities. A node in a social graph can represent any entity. In some embodiments, a unique client identifier may be assigned to individual users in the social graph. This disclosure assumes that at least one entity of a social graph is a user or player character in an online multiuser game.

In some embodiments, the social graph 600 of FIG. 6 is managed by the game networking system 130, which is managed by the game operator. In other embodiments, the social graph is part of a social networking system 140 managed by a third party (e.g., Facebook, Friendster, Myspace, Google+). In yet other embodiments, the player 105 has a social network on both the game networking system 130 and the social networking system 140, wherein the player 105 can have a social network on the game networking system 130 that is a subset, superset, or independent of the user's social network on the social networking system 140. In such combined systems, game network system 130 can maintain social graph information with edge-type attributes that indicate whether a given friend is an “in-game friend,” an “out-of-game friend,” or both. The various embodiments disclosed herein are operable when the social graph is managed by the social networking system 140 the game networking system 130, or both.

Returning to FIG. 6, the User 601 may be associated, connected, or linked to various other users, or “friends,” within the out-of-game social network 650. These associations, connections, or links can track relationships between users within the out-of-game social network 650 and are commonly referred to as online “friends” or “friendships” between users. Each friend or friendship in a particular user's social network within a social graph is commonly referred to as a “node.” For purposes of illustration, the details of out-of-game social network 650 are described in relation to User 601. As used herein, the terms “user” and “player” can be used interchangeably and can refer to any user in an online multiuser game system or social networking system. As used herein, the term “friend” can mean any node within a user's social network, including the branded automatic players described herein.

As shown in FIG. 6, User 601 has direct connections with several friends. When the User 601 has a direct connection with another individual, the connection is referred to as a first-degree friend. In out-of-game social network 650, the User 601 has two first-degree friends. That is, the User 601 is directly connected to Friend 1₁ 611 and Friend 2₁ 621. In social graph 600, it is possible for individuals to be connected to other individuals through their first-degree friends (e.g., friends of friends). As described above, the number of edges in a minimum path that connects a user to another user is considered the degree of separation. For example, FIG. 6 shows that User 601 has three second-degree friends to which User 601 is connected via User 601's connection to User 601's first-degree friends. Second-degree Friend 1₂ 612 and Friend 2₂ 622 are connected to User 601 via User 601's first-degree Friend 1₁ 611. The limit on the depth of friend connections, or the number of degrees of separation for associations, that User 601 is allowed is typically dictated by the restrictions and policies implemented by the social networking system 140.

In various embodiments, User 601 can have Nth-degree friends connected to him through a chain of intermediary degree friends as indicated in FIG. 6. For example, Nth-degree Friend 1_(N) 619 is connected to User 601 within in-game social network 660 via second-degree Friend 3₂ 632 and one or more other higher-degree friends.

In some embodiments, a user (or player/player character), or branded automatic player, has a social graph within an online multiuser game that is maintained by the game engine and another social graph maintained by a separate social networking system. FIG. 6 depicts an example of in-game social network 660 and out-of-game social network 650. In this example, User 601 has out-of-game connections 655 to a plurality of friends, forming out-of-game social network 650. Here, Friend 1₁ 611 and Friend 2₁ 621 are first-degree friends with User 601 in User 601's out-of-game social network 650. User 601 also has in-game connections 665 to a plurality of users, forming in-game social network 660. Here, Friend 2₁ 621, Friend 3₁ 631, and Friend 4₁ 641 are first-degree friends with User 601 in User 601's in-game social network 660. In some embodiments, a game engine can access in-game social network 660, out-of-game social network 650, or both.

In some embodiments, the connections in a user's in-game social network are formed both explicitly (e.g., when users “friend” each other) and implicitly (e.g., when the system observes user behaviors and “friends” users to each other). Unless otherwise indicated, reference to a friend connection between two or more users can be interpreted to cover both explicit and implicit connections, using one or more social graphs and other factors to infer friend connections. The friend connections can be unidirectional or bidirectional. It is also not a limitation of this description that two users who are deemed “friends” for the purposes of this disclosure are not friends in real life (e.g., in disintermediated interactions or the like), but that could be the case.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example data flow between example components of an example system 700. One or more of the components of the example system 700 may correspond to one or more of the components of the example computing environment 100. In some embodiments, system 700 includes a client system 730, a social networking system 720 a, and a game networking system 720 b. The components of system 700 can be connected to each other in any suitable configuration and using any suitable type of connection. The components may be connected directly or over any suitable network. The client system 730, the social networking system 720 a, and the game networking system 720 b may have one or more corresponding data stores, such as the local data store 725, the social data store 745, and the game data store 765, respectively.

The client system 730 may receive and transmit data 723 to and from the game networking system 720 b. This data can include, for example, a web page, a message, a game input, a game display, a HTTP packet, a data request, transaction information, and other suitable data. At some other time, or at the same time, the game networking system 720 b may communicate data 743, 747 (e.g., game state information, game system account information, page info, messages, data requests, updates, etc.) with other networking systems, such as the social networking system 720 a (e.g., Facebook, Myspace, etc.). The client system 730 can also receive and transmit data 727 to and from the social networking system 720 a. This data can include, for example, web pages, messages, social graph information, social network displays, HTTP packets, data requests, transaction information, updates, and other suitable data.

Communication between the client system 730, the social networking system 720 a, and the game networking system 720 b can occur over any appropriate electronic communication medium or network using any suitable communication protocol. For example, the client system 730, as well as various servers of the systems described herein, may include Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networking stacks to provide for datagram and transport functions. Of course, any other suitable network and transport layer protocols can be utilized.

In some embodiments, an instance of a virtual game is stored as a set of game state parameters that characterize the state of various in-game objects, such as, for example, player character state parameters, non-player character parameters, and virtual item parameters. In some embodiments, game state is maintained in a database as a serialized, unstructured string of text data as a so-called Binary Large Object (BLOB). When a user accesses a virtual game on the game networking system 720 b, the BLOB containing the game state for the instance corresponding to the user may be transmitted to the client system 730 for use by a client-side executed object to process. In some embodiments, the client-side executable is a FLASH-based game, which can de-serialize the game state data in the BLOB. As a user plays the game, the game logic implemented at the client system 730 maintains and modifies the various game state parameters locally. The client-side game logic may also batch game events, such as mouse clicks, and transmit these events to the game networking system 720 b. Game networking system 720 b may itself operate by retrieving a copy of the BLOB from a database or an intermediate memory cache (memcache) layer. The game networking system 720 b can also de-serialize the BLOB to resolve the game state parameters and execute its own game logic based on the events in the batch file of events transmitted by the client to synchronize the game state on the server side. The game networking system 720 b may then re-serialize the game state, now modified into a BLOB, and pass this to a memory cache layer for lazy updates to a persistent database.

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented game is a text-based or turn-based game implemented as a series of web pages that are generated after a user selects one or more actions to perform. The web pages may be displayed in a browser client executed on the client system 730. For example, a client application downloaded to the client system 730 may operate to serve a set of web pages to a user. As another example, a virtual game may be an animated or rendered game executable as a stand-alone application or within the context of a webpage or other structured document. In some embodiments, the virtual game is implemented using Adobe Flash-based technologies. As an example, a game may be fully or partially implemented as a SWF object that is embedded in a web page and executable by a Flash media user plug-in. In some embodiments, one or more described web pages are associated with or accessed by the social networking system 720 a. This disclosure contemplates using any suitable application for the retrieval and rendering of structured documents hosted by any suitable network-addressable resource or website.

Application event data of a game is any data relevant to the game (e.g., user inputs or interations). In some embodiments, each application datum may have a name and a value, and the value of the application datum may change (e.g., be updated) at any time. When an update to an application datum occurs at the client system 730, either caused by an action of a game user or by the game logic itself, the client system 730 may need to inform the game networking system 720 b of the update. For example, if the game is a farming game with a harvest mechanic (such as FarmVille by Zynga), an event can correspond to a user clicking on a parcel of land to harvest a crop. In such an instance, the application event data may identify an event or action (e.g., harvest, achievement of a level, or the like) and an object in the game to which the event or action applies.

In some embodiments, one or more objects of a game are represented as an Adobe Flash object. Flash may manipulate vector and raster graphics, and supports bidirectional streaming of audio and video. “Flash” may mean the authoring environment, the user, or the application files. In some embodiments, the client system 730 may include a Flash client. The Flash client may be configured to receive and run a Flash application or game object code from any suitable networking system (such as, for example, the social networking system 720 a or the game networking system 720 b). In some embodiments, the Flash client is run in a browser client executed on the client system 730. A user can interact with Flash objects using the client system 730 and the Flash client. The Flash objects can represent a variety of in-game objects. Thus, the user may perform various in-game actions on various in-game objects by making various changes and updates to the associated Flash objects.

In some embodiments, in-game actions are initiated by clicking or similarly interacting with a Flash object that represents a particular in-game object. For example, a user can interact with a Flash object to use, move, rotate, delete, scratch, attack, shoot, redeem virtual currency from a value object, or harvest an in-game object. This disclosure contemplates performing any suitable in-game action by interacting with any suitable Flash object. In some embodiments, when the user makes a change to a Flash object representing an in-game object, the client-executed game logic may update one or more game state parameters associated with the in-game object. To ensure synchronization between the Flash object shown to the user at the client system 730, the Flash client may send the events that caused the game state changes to the in-game object to the game networking system 720 b. However, to expedite the processing and, hence, the speed of the overall gaming experience, the Flash client may collect a batch of some number of events or updates into a batch file. The number of events or updates may be determined by the Flash client dynamically or determined by the game networking system 720 b based on server loads or other factors. For example, client system 630 may send a batch file to the game networking system 720 b whenever 50 updates have been collected or after a threshold period of time, such as every minute.

As used herein, the term “application event data” may refer to any data relevant to a computer-implemented virtual game application that may affect one or more game state parameters, including, for example and without limitation, changes to user data or metadata, changes to user social connections or contacts, user inputs to the game, and events generated by the game logic. The user profile data may include application event data. In some embodiments, each application datum has a name and a value. The value of an application datum may change at any time in response to the game play of a user or in response to the game engine (e.g., based on the game logic). In some embodiments, an application data update occurs when the value of a specific application datum is changed.

In some embodiments, when a user plays a virtual game on the client system 730, the game networking system 720 b serializes all the game-related data, including, for example and without limitation, game states, game events, user inputs, for this particular user and this particular game into a BLOB and may store the BLOB in a database. The BLOB may be associated with an identifier that indicates that the BLOB contains the serialized game-related data for a particular user and a particular virtual game. In some embodiments, while a user is not playing the virtual game, the corresponding BLOB may be stored in the database. This enables a user to stop playing the game at any time without losing the current state of the game the user is in. When a user resumes playing the game next time, game networking system 720 b may retrieve the corresponding BLOB from the database to determine the most-recent values of the game-related data. In some embodiments, while a user is playing the virtual game, the game networking system 720 b also loads the corresponding BLOB into a memory cache so that the game system may have faster access to the BLOB and the game-related data contained therein.

Various embodiments may operate in a WAN environment, such as the Internet, including multiple network addressable systems. FIG. 8 shows an example network environment 800, in which various example embodiments may operate. A network cloud 860 generally represents one or more interconnected networks, over which the systems and hosts described herein can communicate. Network cloud 860 may include packet-based WANs (such as the Internet), private networks, wireless networks, satellite networks, cellular networks, paging networks, and the like. As FIG. 8 illustrates, various embodiments may operate in a network environment 800 comprising one or more networking systems, such as a social networking system 820 a, a game networking system 820 b, a reward system 820 c, and one or more client systems 830. The components of the social networking system 820 a and the game networking system 820 b, operate analogously; as such, hereinafter they may be referred to simply as the networking system 820. The client systems 830 are operably connected to the network cloud 860 via a network service provider, a wireless carrier, or any other suitable means.

The networking system 820 is a network addressable system that, in various example embodiments, comprises one or more physical servers 822 and data stores 824. The one or more physical servers 822 are operably connected to computer network cloud 860 via, by way of example, a set of routers and/or networking switches 826. In an example embodiment, the functionality hosted by the one or more physical servers 822 may include web or HTTP servers, FTP servers, as well as, without limitation, webpages and applications implemented using Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script, PHP Hyper-text Preprocessor (PHP), Active Server Pages (ASP), Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Java, JavaScript, Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX), Flash, ActionScript, and the like.

The physical servers 822 may host functionality directed to the operations of the networking system 820. Hereinafter servers 822 may be referred to as server 822, although the server 822 may include numerous servers hosting, for example, the networking system 820, as well as other content distribution servers, data stores, and databases. Data store 824 may store content and data relating to, and enabling operation of, the networking system 820 as digital data objects. A data object, in some embodiments, is an item of digital information typically stored or embodied in a data file, database, or record. Content objects may take many forms, including: text (e.g., ASCII, SGML, HTML), images (e.g., jpeg, tif and gif), graphics (vector-based or bitmap), audio, video (e.g., mpeg), or other multimedia, and combinations thereof. Content object data may also include executable code objects (e.g., games executable within a browser window or frame), podcasts, and the like.

Logically, data store 824 corresponds to one or more of a variety of separate and integrated databases, such as relational databases and object-oriented databases, that maintain information as an integrated collection of logically related records or files stored on one or more physical systems. Structurally, data store 824 may generally include one or more of a large class of data storage and management systems. In some embodiments, data store 824 may be implemented by any suitable physical system(s) including components, such as one or more database servers, mass storage media, media library systems, storage area networks, data storage clouds, and the like. In one example embodiment, data store 824 includes one or more servers, databases (e.g., MySQL), and/or data warehouses. Data store 824 may include data associated with different networking system 820 users and/or client systems 830.

The client system 830 is generally a computer or computing device including functionality for communicating (e.g., remotely) over a computer network. The client system 830 may be a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, in- or out-of-car navigation system, smart phone or other cellular or mobile phone, or mobile gaming device, among other suitable computing devices. Client system 830 may execute one or more client applications, such as a Web browser.

When a user at a client system 830 desires to view a particular webpage (hereinafter also referred to as target structured document) hosted by the networking system 820, the user's web browser, or other document rendering engine or suitable client application, formulates and transmits a request to the networking system 820. The request generally includes a URL or other document identifier as well as metadata or other information. By way of example, the request may include information identifying the user, a timestamp identifying when the request was transmitted, and/or location information identifying a geographic location of the user's client system 830 or a logical network location of the user's client system 830.

Although the example network environment 800 described above and illustrated in FIG. 8 is described with respect to the social networking system 820 a and the game networking system 820 b, this disclosure encompasses any suitable network environment using any suitable systems. For example, a network environment may include online media systems, online reviewing systems, online search engines, online advertising systems, or any combination of two or more such systems.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example computing system architecture, which may be used to implement a server 822 or a client system 830. In one embodiment, the hardware system 900 comprises a processor 902, a cache memory 904, and one or more executable modules and drivers, stored on a tangible computer-readable storage medium, directed to the functions described herein. Additionally, the hardware system 900 may include a high performance input/output (I/O) bus 906 and a standard I/O bus 908. A host bridge 910 may couple the processor 902 to the high performance I/0 bus 906, whereas the I/O bus bridge 912 couples the two buses 906 and 908 to each other. A system memory 914 and one or more network/communication interfaces 916 may couple to the bus 906. The hardware system 900 may further include video memory (not shown) and a display device coupled to the video memory. Mass storage 918 and I/O ports 920 may couple to the bus 908. The hardware system 900 may optionally include a keyboard, a pointing device, and a display device (not shown) coupled to the bus 908. Collectively, these elements are intended to represent a broad category of computer hardware systems.

The elements of the hardware system 900 are described in greater detail below. In particular, the network interface 916 provides communication between the hardware system 900 and any of a wide range of networks, such as an Ethernet (e.g., IEEE 802.3) network, a backplane, or the like. The mass storage 918 provides permanent storage for the data and programming instructions to perform the above-described functions implemented in servers 822 of FIG. 8, whereas system memory 914 (e.g., DRAM) provides temporary storage for the data and programming instructions when executed by the processor 902. I/O ports 920 are one or more serial and/or parallel communication ports that provide communication between additional peripheral devices, which may be coupled to the hardware system 900.

The hardware system 900 may include a variety of system architectures, and various components of the hardware system 900 may be rearranged. For example, cache memory 904 may be on-chip with the processor 902. Alternatively, the cache memory 904 and the processor 902 may be packed together as a “processor module,” with processor 902 being referred to as the “processor core.” Furthermore, certain embodiments of the present disclosure may neither require nor include all of the above components. For example, the peripheral devices shown coupled to the standard I/O bus 908 may couple to the high performance I/O bus 906. In addition, in some embodiments, only a single bus may exist, with the components of the hardware system 900 being coupled to the single bus. Furthermore, the hardware system 900 may include additional components, such as additional processors, storage devices, or memories.

An operating system manages and controls the operation of the hardware system 900, including the input and output of data to and from software applications (not shown). The operating system provides an interface between the software applications being executed on the system and the hardware components of the system. Any suitable operating system may be used.

Furthermore, the above-described elements and operations may comprise instructions that are stored on non-transitory storage media. The instructions can be retrieved and executed by a processing system. Some examples of instructions are software, program code, and firmware. Some examples of non-transitory storage media are memory devices, tape, disks, integrated circuits, and servers. The instructions may be executed by the processing system to direct the processing system to operate in accord with the disclosure. The term “processing system” refers to a single processing device or a group of inter-operational processing devices. Some examples of processing devices are integrated circuits and logic circuitry. Those skilled in the art are familiar with instructions, computers, and storage media.

One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

A recitation of “a,” “an,” or “the” is intended to mean “one or more” unless specifically indicated to the contrary. In addition, it is to be understood that functional operations, such as “awarding,” “locating,” “permitting,” and the like, are executed by game application logic that accesses, and/or causes changes to, various data attribute values maintained in a database or other memory.

The present disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Similarly, where appropriate, the appended claims encompass all changes, substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodiments herein that a person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend.

For example, the methods, game features and game mechanics described herein may be implemented using hardware components, software components, and/or any combination thereof. By way of example, while embodiments of the present disclosure have been described as operating in connection with a networking website, various embodiments of the present disclosure can be used in connection with any communications facility that supports web applications. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the term “web service” and “website” may be used interchangeably and, additionally, may refer to a custom or generalized API on a device, such as a mobile device (e.g., cellular phone, smart phone, personal GPS, personal digital assistant (PDA), personal gaming device, etc.), that makes API calls directly to a server. Still further, while the embodiments described above operate with business-related virtual objects (such as stores and restaurants), the embodiments can be applied to any in-game asset around which a harvest mechanic is implemented, such as a virtual stove, a plot of land, and the like. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the claims and that the disclosure is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method performed by an automatic player of an online game, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a triggering event within an online game; and performing a game play action associated with a sponsor of the automatic player within the online game in response to the received indication.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is associated with another player of the online game interacting with a sponsor associated with the automatic player; and wherein performing a game play action within the online game includes performing a game play action for the player that interacted with the sponsor associated with the automatic player.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event includes another player of the online game interacting with the sponsor associated with the automatic player within the online game.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has not interacted with the automatic player within a certain time period.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has viewed a message provided by the automatic player.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has viewed an advertisement provided by a brand associated with the automatic player.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a game play action within the online game in response to the received indication includes performing a game play for another player of the online game that is connected to the automatic player.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a game play action within the online game in response to the received indication includes performing a group game play action along with two or more other players of the online game.
 9. A system that controls an automatic player of an online game, the system comprising: a trigger module that is configured to receive an indication of a triggering event associated with a brand providing the automatic player; and an action module that is configured to perform an action within the online game in response to the received indication.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the triggering event associated with a brand providing the automatic player includes a triggering event that occurs outside of the online game.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the triggering event associated with a brand providing the automatic player includes a triggering event that occurs within a social network associated with the online game.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the triggering event associated with a brand providing the automatic player includes a triggering event that occurs within the online game.
 13. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents, when executed by an automatic player of an online game, cause the automatic player of the online game to perform operations, comprising: receiving an indication of a triggering event in an environment external to the online game; and performing a game play action within the online game in response the received indication.
 14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the triggering event is associated with another player of the online game interacting with a brand associated with the automatic player; and wherein performing a game play action within the online game includes performing a game play action for the player that interacted with the brand associated with the automatic player.
 15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the triggering event includes another player of the online game interacting with a sponsoring entity associated with the automatic player.
 16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has not interacted with a brand associated with the automatic player within a certain time period.
 17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has viewed an advertisement for a brand associated with the automatic player.
 18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has viewed an advertisement provided by a brand associated with the automatic player.
 19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has interacted with a sponsoring entity associated with the automatic player within a social network providing the online game.
 20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the triggering event includes determining another player of the online game has utilized a product or service provided by a sponsoring entity associated with the automatic player. 